Our Mission

Reaching people for Christ in Eastern Europe

Helping people out of poverty into a sustainable future

Across Eastern Europe, people are living in serious poverty. They have limited access to services and their health and wellbeing is under threat. It is a problem that affects families for generations and in the six countries we work in, it is a problem that is destroying communities and children's futures.

We work in the six poorest countries in Eastern Europe to help people break the destructive cycle of poverty. We provide tailored support packages that can often include several generations of the same family and cut across a number of programme areas. Our integrated and responsive method of working means we are uniquely placed to provide a holistic, whole-person approach to meeting people's needs.

We help Children

Many of the children we help have no real family support, either because their family cannot provide them with the stability that they need, or because they are in government institutions.  Through our after school clubs, educational support, hot meals and new clothing we let them know they are valued, and cared for. We aim to build in them a sense of security and stability, as well as help them to fulfil their hopes and dreams for the future. Through our annual summer camps many will also have the life-changing opportunity of going on their first ever trip away from home. Our work with children is only possible because of child sponsors who commit to giving a donation of R300 every month to fund our work. Please consider sponsoring one of these children.

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We help Families

Life is hard for families living in poverty.  Parents, unable to find work, struggle to provide for their children.  Ashamed and sometimes angry about the circumstances of their lives, they cannot see a way out. At the same time they want a different, better life for their children. The largest part of our work in Eastern Europe is with families. Largely through our family to family programme, local staff will visit families regularly to provide practical, emotional and spiritual support. Over time they work together to find a way the family can provide for themselves either by growing their own food or by starting an income generating initiative. Ongoing emotional support is also provided to help families work through issues that could be holding them back, such as conflict, past trauma or addiction, and our staff are there to share their faith and answer questions about the reason for the hope that they have. Our work with families is only possible through sponsors who give every month to support the family they have been partnered with in Eastern Europe. Please consider sponsoring a family today.

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We help Vulnerable Adults

For many people in Eastern Europe life is very lonely and the future seems hopeless.  In some towns only the elderly are left as younger people leave home in search of work. They are neglected, often housebound and have very little to live on. In big cities, people become homeless often because of unemployment or marriage breakdown, and in prisons, women are separated from family members who cannot afford to visit them and lack the dignity of having basic hygiene products. Into this mix, certain groups of minorities struggle to integrate. Through our soup kitchens, homeless support work and prison ministries, we aim to be a friend to the most vulnerable people in society, those who feel forgotten by the world. We demonstrate Christ’s love to them as we build relationships with them and give them the practical help and friendship they need.

God's love in action

Our Mission has always been Reaching People for Christ and we do that by following Jesus’ example of showing God’s love to those in need. That love looks different in every situation: whether it is a hot meal for a homeless person, a homework club for a struggling pupil or seeds for a father who wants to grow vegetables for his family. It has been our joy to see individuals and families coming to Christ as they experience the fruit of his love in their lives for themselves. In the same way that a loaf of bread shows no sign of the separate ingredients that went into making it, we believe it is impossible to separate out the impact of the practical and spiritual elements of our work. What we know is that thanks to God, lives are transformed. You can read more about one of those lives here.

Growing the church

We work in a way that supports the local church in the countries where we work.  We often become aware of communities that need our help because there is a small church there with a desire reach out to people but struggle to meet the great need they see around them. We aim to strengthen and support the local church to be salt and light and ultimately to have the resources they need to manage without us. When people become Christians through our work, they become part of their local church community where they receive further support and fellowship. And many of the volunteers who make our work possible come from our partner churches. One of those churches is based in what was called the Atheist City in Romania; you can read more about them here.

Working with local people

All our work in Eastern Europe is done by local staff and volunteers. They know best the communities and people and understand their struggles. Most importantly, they are there for the long term, supporting children and families over many years in order to build the trust and relationship that is needed to bring about change. One of those local staff members is Iurie in Moldova; you can read more about him here.

 

2,376

2,376 families supported through our Family to Family sponsorship programme across Eastern Europe

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